Thursday, January 23, 2014

Indian Chicken with Cream Sauce

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One of my standard Indian company dishes is chicken with cream sauce. Since my kids are vegetarian, I developed a cream sauce recipe that can be used for both a chicken dish and a vegetarian dish. This recipe uses the cream sauce described in my previous post Indian Cream Sauce with Garlic, Ginger, and Tomatoes.

Chicken

I usually buy chicken leg quarters in a 10 pound bag. The quarters are tasty and a good value. I use the chicken skin for stock and cut thighs into 2 pieces.

My husband and I were joking that there are 10 leg/thigh pieces in a 10 pound bag. This is about right. The last time we bought chicken, there were 11 leg quarters in the 10 pound bag.

Chicken stock

It is easy to make chicken stock. Cover chicken skin and bones with water. Add onions, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer. When stock is done, stain off liquid and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top and can be removed the next day.

I think stock tastes better if you simmer it for a long time, 2 or more hours. My husband prefers to simmer his only 1 hour. When I made stock for this dish, I added garlic and ginger to the stock to repeat the garlic and ginger flavors of the tomato sauce.

Ingredients
3 LbsChicken, about 3-4 leg quarters, skinned and cut in pieces
1 TspSalt
2 TspsCumin
1 TspCoriander
1/2 TspTurmeric
1/2 TspGround red or cayenne pepper
4-6 TbspsVegetable oil
4 CupsIndian cream sauce with garlic, ginger, and tomatoes
1 CupChicken stock or water
1/2 CupHeavy cream
1 TspSalt
2 TspsGaram masala
3-6 PodsCardamon, lightly crushed, optional
Directions
  1. Skin chicken and cut into pieces. Put in bowl to marinate. Prick with a knife.
  2. Mix 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne in small bowl. Sprinkle spices on top of chicken. Put in fridge, and let marinate overnight or for at least one hour.
  3. In a large pot, heat oil on medium high. Add as many chicken pieces as fit in single layer and brown pieces on all sides, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Remove browned pieces. Continue until all pieces are browned. Add more oil as needed.
  4. Add 1 cup chicken stock and Indian cream sauce to pot. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken, and simmer 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked.
  5. Remove chicken. Bring sauce to a boil and cook to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir sauce often to prevent sticking.
  6. Add cream, 1 teaspoon of salt, garam masala, and cardamon pods, if desired. Simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce is slightly thick and creamy. Stir often. The dish can be prepared ahead up to this point.
  7. To serve, bring sauce to a simmer. Add chicken and heat until warm. Adjust seasonings to taste before serving. Serve over rice.

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